Some charges dropped in fatal Pa. wreck case

CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. - Several charges against a Chambersburg man charged in a fatal accident were dismissed Tuesday when he waived his preliminary hearing before District Justice Larry Meminger.

Patrick Eugene Hepfer will appear in Franklin County Court for mandatory arraignment on the remaining charges at a later date.

Assistant District Attorney David Rahauser said Hepfer still faces charges of homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence, homicide by vehicle and driving under the influence, along with several traffic violations.

Pennsylvania State Police on Feb. 23 charged Hepfer, 29, in the Oct. 11, 1997, traffic death of Charles Alan Frazier, 35, of Chambersburg. Frazier was a passenger in a pickup truck that police say Hepfer was driving when it wrecked off Fort McCord Road in Hamilton Township.

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Rahauser said charges dismissed included two counts of aggravated assault with a motor vehicle while driving under the influence, two counts of recklessly endangering another person and one count of involuntary manslaughter.

He said the other victims in the case agreed to those charges being dropped.

Four other passengers and Hepfer were injured in the one-vehicle accident.